2019 | U.S. DOE Office of Science (SC)

IU Physicists Co-leads First Observation of the Weak Interaction Between Protons and Neutrons

An international group of scientists including physicists at Indiana University are reporting the first observation of an elusive force whose detection verifies a prediction of the Standard Model, the most widely accepted model used to explain the behavior of three of the four known fundamental forces in the universe.

Powerful X-ray Beams Unlock Secrets of Nanoscale Crystal Formation

High-energy X-ray beams and a clever experimental setup allowed researchers at Georgia Tech to watch a high-pressure, high-temperature chemical reaction to determine for the first time what controls formation of two different nanoscale crystalline structures in the metal cobalt.

Longer Growing Seasons Complicate Outlook for Coniferous Forests

For decades, ecologists have differed over a longstanding mystery: Will a longer, climate-induced growing season ultimately help coniferous forests to grow or hurt them? A new CU Boulder study may help researchers find a more definitive answer.

Spintronics "Miracle Material" Put to the Test

In 2017, University of Utah physicist Valy Vardeny called perovskite a “miracle material” for an emerging field of next-generation electronics, called spintronics, and he’s standing by that assertion. In a paper published January 10th in Nature Communications, Vardeny, along with Jingying Wang, Dali Sun (now at North Carolina State University) and colleagues present two devices built using perovskite to demonstrate the material’s potential in spintronic systems.

UK Physics Contributes to Groundbreaking Experiment

In an experiment carried out at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory, experimental physicists were able for the first time to measure the weak interaction between protons and neutrons in the nucleus of an atom.

Just Like Flipping a Switch – In Only Half a Picosecond

Researchers at the University of Missouri have discovered molecules ‘spin flip’ from magnetic to non-magnetic forms dynamically in one half of one trillionth of a second, or half a picosecond in the course of a chemical reaction.

Better Drug to Save Mothers' Lives During Childbirth May be on the Way

Development of a safer drug to counter postpartum bleeding may be on the horizon, based on new research by Arizona State University, the Bridge Institute at the USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience and the U.S. Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory based at Stanford University.

Cover Crops May Increase Winter Temperatures in North America

Cover crops grown in fields during winter may be warming temperatures in the northern United States and southern Canada, according to a new study by scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research.

Scientists Design Custom Nanoparticles With New 'Stencil' Method

A new technique developed by researchers at the University of Chicago, allows scientists to build custom coats for nanoparticles in all kinds of specific shapes.

New Water Splitting Catalyst Could Make it Easier to Generate Solar Fuel

Water splitting, the process of harvesting solar energy to generate energy-dense fuels, could be simplified thanks to new research including faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York.

Breakthrough Reported in Fabricating Nanochips

An international team of researchers has reported a breakthrough in fabricating atom-thin processors — a discovery that could have far-reaching impacts on nanoscale chip production and in labs across the globe where scientists are exploring 2D materials for ever-smaller and -faster semiconductors.

Proton Transport 'Highway' May Pave Way to Better High-power Batteries

Researchers at Oregon State University have found that a chemical mechanism first described more than two centuries ago holds the potential to revolutionize energy storage for high-power applications like vehicles or electrical grids.